Book reviews for people who love reading, with a focus on YA and NA fiction, paranormal, supernatural and romance, with the odd bit of historical and chick-lit thrown in. If you're an author please contact me if you want me to review your book.

Wednesday, 20 August 2014

Review: Breathe for Me by Rhonda Helms

Desperate
to escape an arranged marriage, she made a hasty bargain with a demon,
asking for liberation from an oppressive husband-to-be and the
excitement of travel. But the demon’s “gift” came at a steep cost. Each
time he moves her to a new city, her memory’s wiped. No one can touch
her bare skin without injury or even death. And she sees the lifespan of
every living being (and is, in fact, immortal herself).

All a constant reminder that she’s different than other teen girls.

But
New Orleans seems to accept her as she is. She has friends and a real
life in this quirky, hot city. Then Isabel meets Dominic, whose deep
soul and strong character draw her to him. Her growing love gives her
the courage to confront the demon, insisting the curse be broken. But
the demon’s price for freedom is much, much higher than she could
possibly give.

My review:
Original and alluring, Breathe for Me is a welcome addition to the
paranormal romance genre. We meet Isabel at a point when she is
centuries old, yet still a teenager. She has lived many different lives,
yet she remembers none of them. Such is her curse. Bound to a demon,
unable to touch other humans, she has to stay removed from society. She
gets to see the world, but what use is that when her memory is wiped
each time she moves to a new place? But now she's in New Orleans, and
the place speaks to her in a way no other has.

New Orleans makes
Isabel want to be normal, to be a part of society instead of standing
on the edge looking in. So she goes to school. She covers her skin,
makes up an excuse of a rare illness to explain her inability to touch
anyone, puts up with being labelled a freak, all so that she can fulfill
her yearning to interact with other humans. She even manages to make
friends. Then along comes Dominic.

Isabel's kiss is deadly, but
that's never mattered before, as she's never wanted to kiss anyone
before. But that was before she got to know Dominic. Dominic is an old
soul. One of those dark, poetic types that certain girls are drawn to.
He and Isabel bond over a love of history and English, and a sweet,
innocent romance blossoms.

Helms weaves an addictive story, her
characters full of realism and her New Orleans ripe with heat and magic.
She is clever in her imagination, and the curse she has created, and
its demon, are an intriguing basis for a very good story. Some younger
readers might find the pace of Breathe for Me a little slow, as it's not
all action and instant gratification like some YA books, but for me it
works very well. The story builds with interesting twists, intertwined
with a delightful romance. You have another fan, Ms Helms, and now I
want to hear the demon's story, if you'd be so kind as to oblige!

About Me

I'm a web designer, writer and artist. I'm currently writing a novel for young adults, and spend a lot of time 'researching' by reading YA books. I used to write reviews for a magazine and loved it, so I decided to set up a blog reviewing the books I've read.